Oiling device



Patented May 16, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" FRED. M. SLATER, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO INGERSOLL-RAND COM- PANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF. NEW JERSEY ornme DEVICE Application filed August 2, 1930. Serial No.472,594.

This invention relates to oiling devices and has particular reference to an oiler adapted to be used in conjunction with a pressure fluid supply line of rock drills or like devices.

The objects of the invention are to insure delivery of oil in regulated and suitably atomized quantities to a tool intended to be lubricated and to assure an adequate supply of lubricant to the tool irrespective of the position which the oiling device may assume or irrespective of the direction of pressure fluid'flow therethrough.

Other objects will'be in part obvious and 1 in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure. 1 is a longitudinal section through the preferred form of oiling device,

Figure 2 is a section taken on the line 2 22 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

- Referring more particularly to the drawing wherein similar reference numerals des-' ignate corresponding parts throughout, the numeral 10'designates the casin g of the oiler which in this instance is in the form of atubular member provided at one end with a head 12 and at the other with a head 14.

The heads 12 and 14 maybe secured to the tubular member in any suitable manner to insure a fluid tight joint. In this embodiment this joint is obtained in the head 12 by means of a depressed lip 16 and'in'the head 14 by means of a thread 18. Extending longitudinallybetween the heads 12 and 14 is a tubular portion or pipe 20 which divides the casing into a passageway or conduit 22 for pressure fluid and a reservoir 24 for oil. The oil may be admitted to the reservoir24 by means of the opening 26 in the head 12 and this opening may normally sealedby a plug 28.

The heads 12 and 14 are preferably provided with threaded openings 30 and 32 respectively, which are adapted to engage sections of a hose 33 through which is conv'eyed pressure fluid from a suitable source (not shown) to a machine which is intended 0 to be actuated thereby.

In accordance with this invention, means are provided to withdraw the oil from the reservoir 24 by means of thepressure fluid flowing through the passageway 22 and to this end the head 14 is provided with a pair ofpassages or bores 34 and 35 preferably located opposite one another and communieating with the reservoir 24 on either side of the tubular member 20. Disposed within the reservoir 24, and having its ends secured in the passages 34 "and 35 in the head 14, is a tube 36 which is of suflicient length to be wound in a tortuous manner within the reservoir 24.

In order toprovide for the admission of oil from the reservoir into the tube 36, irrespective of the position of'the oiler, a pluralityof apertures 38 are provided therein. These apertures 38 are preferably located at such positions in the tube 36 that whenit is arranged in the reservoir 24, one or more apertures will be positioned at both ends of'the reservoir adjacent the Walls of the casing 10 and preferably on opposite sides of the reservoir.

Extending across the passageway 22, and therefore directly in the path of the pressure fluid stream, is a plug 40, one end of which is disposed in a bore 42 in the head 14. The plug 40 placed as it is. to act as an obstruction to the flow of pressure fluid is subjected to differing pressures on its different faces due to the well known Venturi effect which increases the velocity and lowers thepressure where the passageway 22 is constricted. V The other end of the plug 40'is, in this instance, enlarged to provide a head 41 which is disposed fixedly, as by press-fitting, within a bore '43 in the head 14 and on theother side of the passageway 22. A portion of the bore 42 extends be-. yond the end of the plug 40 and thus provides a reservoir 44 adjacent the: passage 34. Communicating with this reservoir 44 is a passage 46 in the plug 40 having ports 48 extendingtherefrom to the outside of the plug 40 and arranged preferably at an angle to facilitate the deflection of part of the higher pressure fluid stream into the passage 46. The other end of the plug 40 1s provided with a bore 50 having an extension 52 communicating therewith and a transverse port 54 extending from the bore 52 to the outside of the plug 40. The transverse port 54 is preferably positioned adjacent the axis of the oiler and opens to the low pressure side of the plug 40.

The bore 50 in the end of the plug is adapted to receive a valve 56 which has a slot 58 extending from one end to a point substantially intermediate its ends. By means of this slot 58 sufficient resiliency is imparted to the valve 56 so that its ends may be sprung apart sufliciently to grip the sides of the bore and retain it in position therein. A head 60 on the valve 56 extends, in this instance, beyond the end of the plug 40 and is provided with a slot 62 into which a suitable tool may be inserted to rotate the valve 56 within the bore 50. Surrounding the head 60 of the valve 56 is a cap 64 which threacledly engages the head 14 and thus prevents dirt and foreign matter from entering the valve.

The plug 40 is also provided with a lateral port 65 with which the passage 35 in the head 14 is adapted to communicate. Below the lateral port 65, and located substantially normal thereto in the side of the plug 40, is a second lateral port 66. Extending from the second lateral port 66 on the exterior of the enlarged portion 41 of the plug 40 is a cut away portion 68 which provides communication between the lateral port 66 and the conduit 22.

The operation of the device is as follows: VVith the oiler interposed in the hose line in such a manner that pressure fluid flows from the head 14 towards the head 12, a portion of this pressure fluid will be diverted through the ports 48 in the plug 40 to enter the passage 46, and thence flow through the passage 34 into the tube 36. During its passage through the tube 36 the pressure fluid will pass through the apertures 38 and build up a pressure in the reservoir 24 equal to that in the supply line. If the rock drill, or other pressurev actuated tool which is intended to be lubricated, is now set in operation, the cut off and admission of pressure fluid to the tool will cause fluctuations in pressure which are transmitted to the reservoir. Consequently, a pulsating action will occur in the reservoir and cause oil to enter the tube 36 where it will be carried by the pressure fluid therein to the passage 35. A quantity of oil will therefore be constantly delivered to the plug 40.

lVhile this is occurring there is a continual stream of pressure fluid passing that portion of the plug 40 positioned in the passageway 22 but, as the port 54 in this portion is transversely disposed to the stream of pressure fluid, an area of relatively low pressure 1 will be formed at this point. This will create what may be termed a suction and will assist the exit of the pressure fluid and oil through the plug 40 by way of the passage 52 and transverse port 54. Upon emerging from the transverse port 54 the oil and pressure fluid will be carried by the stream of pressure fluid in the passage way 22 to the machine intended to be lubricated.

To regulate the quantity of pressure fluid and oil delivered through the transverse port 54, the valve 56 may be rotated so that the slot 58 therein will be positioned either normal, parallel or at any angle therebetween, with regard to the lateral port 65. In Figure 2 this slot 58 is shown at a slight angle to the lateral port 65 and a smaller quantity of pressure fluid and oil'will therefore be admitted from the passage 35 than if the slot were positioned directly normal to the lateral port 65. WVhen the slot 58 is positioned parallel to the lateral port 65 the flow of pressure fluid and oil into the plug 40 is prevented as will be apparent.

As shown in Figure 3 rotation of the valve 56 and therefore the slot 58 will also uncover to a greater or lesser extent the second lateral port 66 which communicates with the cut away portion 68 so that at certain positions of the valve 56 a short circuit is established and a back pressure or balance will be provided to reduce the flow of the pressure fluid and oil which enters the plug through the lateral port 65. As will be clearly seen from Figure 3, the valve 56 may be rotated into such position that the slot 58 will be out of communication with the lateral port 66 although passage for pressure fluid and oil is still maintained through the passage 35, lateral port 65 and passage 52 in the plug. Satisfactory adjustment can therefore be made for the delivery of lubricant to the passageway 22 to suit oil of high or low viscosity or to supply oil to any number of machines.

It will also be apparent from the disposition of the apertures 38 in the tube 36 that, notwithstanding any position which the oiler may assume, oil will be constantly delivered to the tool.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that an oiling device has been provided which will deliver a regulated quantity of oil in a suitably atomized state to a machine intended to be lubricated irrespective of the direction of pressure fluid flow through the device and that the construction employed is of a simple and economical nature.

I claim:

1. An air line oiler comprising a casing having a passageway for a pressure fluid stream and a reservoir for oil, a tubular member for conveying a portion of the pressure fluid from the passageway through the reservoir and having apertures therein through which pressure fluid may pass to the reservoir and oil from the reservoir to said member, a plug having a lateral port communicating with said tubular member and a passage adjacent said port into which the pressure fluid and oil from said member may flow to be withdrawninto the passageway by suction created in said plug by the pressure fluid stream in the passageway flowing past the passage in said plug, saidplug also having a second lateral port communicating with a cut away portion therein to receive the pressure fluid and oil from the tubular member not withdrawn through the passage in the plug, and a valve in said plug having a slot therein movable into and out of registry with the first lateral port to regulate the quantity of pressure fluid and oil withdrawn from said tubular member.

2. An air line oiler comprising a casing, a reservoir for oil therein, a conduit for pressure fluid therethrough, a member in the casing extending into the conduit and retarding the flow of pressure fluid therein, said member having a side exposed to relatively high pressure fluid and another side exposed to relatively low pressure fluid,

means to conduct pressure fluid from the high pressure side through the oil reservoir to the low pressure side, means to entrain oil in the pressure fluid so conducted, and means to short circuit said high pressure side to said low pressure side to adjust the flow of entrained oil to the low ressure side. 3. An air line oiler comprising a casing,

' a reservoir for oil therein, a conduit for pressure fluid therethrough, a member in the casing extendinginto the conduit and retarding the flow of pressure fluid therein, said member having a side exposed to relatively high pressure fluid and another side exposed to relatively low pressure fluid,

means to conduct pressure fluid from the 7 high pressure side through the oil reservoir to the low pressure side, means to entrain oil in the pressure fluid so conducted, and

means in said member adjustable to admit 7 pressure fluid from the high pressure side to the low pressure side to regulate the flow of entrained oil to the low pressure side.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

FRED -M. SLATER. 

